Posted by:
ificouldhietokolob
(
)
Date: May 05, 2017 10:21AM
kathleen Wrote:
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> In Joseph Smith Sr.'s time, Smith (the patriarch)
> charged $2 apiece for them, and you could get as
> many as you wanted.
Yep. The "office" of "patriarch" was created to provide Joe Sr. a way to make money from his son's church.
Hyrum Smith took over when Joe Sr. died. Joe Sr. was experienced as a fortune-teller and "cold reader," and had a fertile imagination, which is where the "predict the future" aspect of a "patriarchal blessing" came from.
Stake "patriarchs" started to be called after the move to SLC, when mormons across Utah and in other countries were too far away to get the paid blessings from the one church "patriarch."
The calling continued to be a money-making venture for the "patriarchs" until the early 20th century...the church officially prohibited charging for the blessings (though 'tips' were often still given until around the 1940's) after it was learned that "patriarchs" were traveling door to door soliciting people to be "blessed," and outbidding any other "patriarchs" in the area.
http://www.thankgodimatheist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/patriarchal_neon.jpgEdited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2017 10:26AM by ificouldhietokolob.